


Calling from the Library

by SailorStarDust1



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Canonical Character Death, Drama & Romance, F/M, Gen, Gift Fic, Implied Sexual Content, Lovecraftian, Nibelheim, Post-AC, Slice of Life, Suspense, Unconventional Families
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-02 05:30:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20270749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorStarDust1/pseuds/SailorStarDust1
Summary: Denzel and Marlene happily moved to the peaceful Nibelheim countryside with their family. But they grow concerned once Cloud and Tifa begin acting increasingly...weird. Something about the sleepy village's long-forgotten library draws the adopted siblings in...A side story that takes place afterDenebola_Leo'sGetting into the Nibelheim Spirit.





	Calling from the Library

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Denebola_Leo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denebola_Leo/gifts), [Senigata](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Senigata/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Call of the Mountain](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19046857) by [Denebola_Leo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denebola_Leo/pseuds/Denebola_Leo). 
  * Inspired by [A Call of Spring](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20254558) by [Senigata](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Senigata/pseuds/Senigata). 
  * Inspired by [Getting into the Nibelheim Spirit](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19233211) by [Denebola_Leo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denebola_Leo/pseuds/Denebola_Leo). 
  * Inspired by [The Mad Cetra](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19814755) by [Denebola_Leo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denebola_Leo/pseuds/Denebola_Leo). 

“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Fisher!”

Marlene brightly greeted their new neighbors within sleepy Nibelheim, nearly jumping out of Tifa’s house into powdery, freshly glittering, snow. She was delighted to breath in crisp morning air.

The Fishers cheerfully waved back with gloved hands. In their other proudly showed off their matching heart-decorated mugs, filled with either steaming coffee or hot cocoa. A bit silly, maybe, but Tifa insisted the married couple buy something cute in one of the nearby towns to brighten up their happy home.

“Good morning, Marlene!” A delighted Sarah warmly offered, hand subconsciously resting atop her belly. Her secret dreams would hopefully become reality with the blessings of Mount Nibel. Playfully kissing his wife’s forehead, Owen set his coffee mug on their outdoor table, beginning to shovel dirtier bits of snow far away from their front yard.

“Playing outside today, hm?” Sarah took a seat atop her snow-dusted chair with steamy treat in hand, warm eyes occasionally flickering to her husband’s hard work with quiet adoration.

“Yep!” She was all grins. _ Perfect weather to build a snowman. _ Yule festivities long passed, but it wasn’t quite the turning of the seasons. Soon enough, thawing snow would transform into Spring, blessing their sleepy village with fresh flowers, fruits, and vegetables. 

Marlene _ definitely _wanted to make the most of this fun weather. She’d been far too little, back then, to remember any snowfall in Corel.

Leaning against the recently built fence at Tifa’s front yard, Cloud couldn’t help begin vague reminiscing, gloved hand in hand with TIfa. “This weather reminds me of something. There was a poor country boy that wanted nothing more than one dance with the Mayor’s daughter at the autumn harvest festival. All he could do was watch her roast marshmallows with her friends.”

Ruby eyes twinkled in amusement, Tifa cheekily offered, “Something tells me she would’ve offered that Soldier hopeful at least one dance, for good luck?” 

“If not more?” Cloud’s smile grew brighter once the words left his playful lips.

Denzel silently gagged at their nauseatingly romantic display. Although, he wanted nothing more than to give _ her_—his dear friend with the Moogle plushie—one more tight goodbye hug. A few months ago, with the excitement of packing up all his stuff into heavy boxes, the realization of moving halfway across the Planet to this other continent didn’t quite hit him.

Tifa and Cloud seemed incredibly cheerful, crossing the neighbor’s increasingly clean yard—Owen piling heavy snow next to the vacant General Store—to chat with Sarah. The trio enjoyed hot drinks, falling into easy conversation about winter. Maybe plans for a winter festival, once more residents decided to reside in Nibelheim. More families. More babies. More….love.

Maybe their happy morning chat was a sign there was nothing to worry about. But then again, maybe with Cloud and Tifa, it _ was _something about the Mountain air made them act funny. Or, heck, even something in the water from the nearby mountain springs, gathered in that large water tower proudly displayed in the dead-center of town. For fun, he and Marlene would occasionally scale the large thing, making it a race to see who could reach the top first.

But...

Denzel’s firmly grabbed Marlene’s hand, tugging her along. There wasn’t much choice. He hadn’t bothered verbally greeting their next-door neighbors, nor part with a goodbye hug to Tifa and Cloud.

Instead, he silently adjusted his wool-knit scarf, further fighting off the biting morning cold. 

“Have fun, you two!”, Tifa called after the pair, obviously surprised at Denzel’s lack of farewell.

“Let’s go to the library.”, Denzel muttered with teeth grit.

“Hey!” Marlene’s impatience won out before tugging the boy’s down winter coat. “But it’s_ snowing _and today’s Saturday! I thought we were gonna play outside!”

A week of home-schooled lessons, firmly insisted by _ both _ Tifa and Cloud, left the children little time to play that incredibly _ boring _week before the curtain of night quickly fell. They were warned to stay indoors, lest they end up an easy meal for an occasional stray Nibel Wolf stalking about the darkness.

Once out of sight—and more importantly, out of ear shot—from the grown ups, Marlene spoke first. She and Denzel walked side by side, the girl quietly delighting in the footprints left by her boots in diamond-sparkling snow, reflected by almost blinding sunlight. Perfect weather to play outside, then curl up with some hot coca indoors.

“Nanaki and Vincent haven’t visited us lately...Maybe they had a fight with Cloud and Tifa?”

Denzel couldn’t say he was as familiar with Tifa’s old friends as Marlene was. “It _ is _weird.”, he admitted, keeping his gaze straight ahead, Nibelheim’s old library in the distance. Maybe pretending to be a serious adult would make his crazy plan easier to go through with. “...And sad.”

Maybe something _ was _ wrong with Cloud and Tifa. “Maybe only we can fix this.”, he quietly offered.

“I dunno.....”, Marlene began, frowning a little. “Maybe we just have an overactive imagination, like Uncle Cid would say...but with bad words.”

Her big brother shook his head, eyes still weirdly serious. “No...something’s really wrong.”

Determination filling his young heart, his maybe-crazy plan just _had_ to work.

* * *

A delightful pink splotch, raised near the base of the necks, thankfully hidden with their wonderful excuse for winter clothes. Their outdoor wear of jackets, scarves, and gloves hastily added to the pile of Tifa’s long sleeved chiffon-colored dress alongside Cloud’s sage-colored turtleneck and snow-dusted work pants.

Beautiful patterns, in their mind: a rash-like, outstretching spider’s web, covering Cloud and Tifa’s nude bodies alike from head to toe.

“Breathtaking”, Cloud muttered softly, his hand cupping Tifa’s cheek. His beloved giggled, nuzzling into her blond’s warmth. Sword callouses had faded away, in time replaced with the hard, honest, labor of front yard gardening and occasional farming their homeland. Still recovering from three decades’ worth of poisoning due to the Mako Reactors, long before either of them were born.

Nibelrung now truly free _ was _a blessing for the countryside, the couple came to realize, ever since their quiet visit back home. Livestock—sheep, goats, and cows, even an occasional wandering Chocobo or two—had been gradually plentiful. Herbs and vegetables steadily took root in now-fertile soil. Winter birds retreating to Costa del Sol and Mideel would certainly return as the snow began thawing. That coming Spring was sure to be a bountiful one.

“Um...”

Tifa held back laughter, nodding towards soft material wrapped around Cloud’s otherwise warm hand. 

“Hm?” Fading Mako eyes took notice of the silken snow-white cobwebs entangling his wrist, long enough to nearly cover his entire arm. Nearly matching, pattern for pattern, the markings across his own skin. “Oh!” 

Nonchalantly, the former-swordsman shook it off, a messy spider’s web lightly falling to the woven rug near their bare, swollen feet. Webbing from the babies’ room, a room shared with Denzel and Marlene. 

A room that formerly belonged to Tifa’s parents, and eventually, the father that (understandably so) despised Cloud. The lad hadn’t returned home with pride as Soldier, as a young man worthy of Tifa’s love. Not even her hand in marriage, _ if only _ their village’s razing hadn’t stolen away such idealistic, youthful, dreams.

Silken cobwebs, almost immediately ignored, were similar to cleaning up another day’s worth of messy diapers. A fact of life, given the heavy responsibilities in caring for four little ones. How quickly they were born! How quickly they’d certainly continue to grow!

After exchanging more pleasantries with Sarah, hand-in-hand, the young couple quietly retired to their room—Tifa’s childhood room. The fire within each other’s eyes and loins _ needed _to be quenched, sudden privacy with their older children playing outside happily offered more than enough time to—loudly—express each other’s feelings.

“_Steinn í því elskask_.”, seemingly the Mountain itself whispered to both in ancient Nibelese, quietly demanding why they hadn’t returned to the cave to continue love making. 

Gentle encouragement to mate, even further.

Lips locking, over and over again in breathless kisses, Cloud animalistically clawed Tifa’s lower back, ex-barmaid hissing loudly while bent before him at the side of her—their—shared bed. Gripping either side of her smooth hips, his groomed nails dug against her flesh during _more_ of Tifa’s delightful noises, Cloud teasingly murmuring through increasingly aggressive thrusts.

“Shouldn’t we return to Nibelrung?” His eight amber-colored eyes focused on Tifa’s own matching set, seeing a reflection of himself. How beautiful, truly, Tifa was.

“Not yet.”, she selfishly moaned, slowly rocking her hips in sultry encouragement. 

“Denzel and Marlene make six, remember? Far...too many little ones to look after.”

Utterly insatiable, the pair of them were. Unwed in the sense of legal papers, perhaps, yet spiritually so with the highest blessings bestowed upon them, thanks to their Old God.

“Ek elska þik.” Cloud breathed atop walnut locks in spoken Nibel—“I love you.”—their nearly-forgotten tongue wouldn’t remain so, if _ they _had any input on the matter.

Tifa shuddered, eight spider-like eyes rolling in the back of her head, the bedroom quieting save for the couple’s moans and grunts, bodies coated in a fine sheen of glistening sweat.

“Já, meiriiiiii.”, breathing out vocal encouragement, startling herself at the intensity of her unusually harsh tone. She deepened a kiss while accepting Cloud’s moist, waiting, lips, craning her neck to meet him.

And all too soon, as if physically ill, Cloud suddenly—rather abruptly—stopped in his blissful movements. Shakily untangling himself from Tifa’s warm body, the blond stood, pale like their cream-colored bed sheets.

Her eyebrows quirked in immediate confusion, weakly offering her fingertips against his clammy wrist in vague reassurance. She hadn’t seen Cloud like this besides bouts of motion sickness, or occasionally as a result of the Jenova-induced seizures. The latter now felt like a lifetime ago, honestly.

“...Cloud?”

Trembling hands held in the gesture to _ wait _, his nude form silently departed, privately excusing himself to vomit in their bathroom.

Nothing, honestly, needed to be said. _ Something _was trying to interfere with their Great One.

Incredibly upset their passionate lovemaking had been utterly _ ruined_, all Tifa could do was blow hair out of her face in irritation. Her chilly bottom finding its way to her piano seat, nothing came to mind while absentmindedly scanning over her sheet music.

Two ruby eyes bore into those faded ivory keys of her mother’s piano, as if ancient knowledge from childhood—the lessons from her mother, before passing, or her instructor, long before the Nibelheim Incident—were beginning to slip away.

_ What nonsense._, she found herself thinking. Before swallowing, heavily.

No...this pull was simply too strong. She and Cloud were far gone, by now. Already too late to leave, having answered His Call. 

_ Change isn’t an option._

<strike>This_ is where we belong._</strike>

Tifa’s smile grew bitter once Cloud rejoined her, atop their bed. He was a little shaky but otherwise fine, sipping from a glass of murky well-water. Seemingly fine now, despite the bright-hot embers of their mood long cooled. A shame, but there _was_ always Sunday to pick up where they left off.

_We _belong_ here!_

Tifa found herself sighing from serious thoughts, despite that amused smirk _threatening_ to break free, given tomorrow’s implications.

The old well, their special childhood place, the water tower. Been long running in disrepair, now. 

Something had to be done so neither Denzel or Marlene would get sick. Maybe import the water from Corel? Naturally, they’d share any bounty with Sarah and Owen, as good neighbors do.

The babes, certainly, would need fresh milk from the base of Mount Nibel. The resident goats, at least, continuing to provide despite the chilly weather. Always, would their mountain provide. Sadly, her own body seemingly hadn’t been enough in offering her babies the nourishment needed to grow, as healthy kin of Nibel.

* * *

Eyes straight ahead, the young boy steeled himself, slowly pushing open the door to the _ creaaaking _library, impact echoing from those large doors opening. Marlene was a few steps behind Denzel, ensuring herself that she wouldn’t slip on the ice of the wide entrance.

She marveled at the rows of undisturbed books and seating. Long wooden-grained desks and beautifully wooden carved chairs with plush pillows that allowed tired patrons rest. A cozy atmosphere with numerous bay windows to allow natural lighting to pour in. “Daddy once said that Nibelheim used to have lots of actors living in town, but they all moved away...Something about a fire?” 

Despite the fact it was a bright, sunny morning outdoors, something about those dimly lit corners of this library gave the friends internal pause, glancing about numerous rows of books in such a tightly-packed space. 

“That fire was a long time ago, I think.” Denzel attempted to reassure Marlene, “Actually, it was when Tifa and Cloud were just a little older than us...” He trailed off, suddenly uncomfortable. 

Marlene reached for his hand. He warmly accepted, even squeezing in reassurance. He’d protect her, and his adopted parents too...If neither Marlene and Denzel were already too late, that was.

“But it’s a good thing those Mako Reactors all shut down, isn’t it? Daddy, Cloud, and Tifa...Everybody worked _ really _ hard to make that happen!”

“...Yeah.” Denzel grew briefly somber, through no intentional fault of Marlene’s own. He’d rather not remember the sad fate of those above and below the Sector 7 plate.

“When was the last time somebody was in here...?” The brown-haired girl curiously looked about in wide-eyed marvel, selfishly hoping the children’s section was near the front. That _ was _what Denzel wanted to borrow, right?

Humble library that it was, nobody on duty in (most likely) almost over a decade’s time had made it incredibly easy to research for titles completely on their own. 

Nibelheim simply wasn’t as technologically up-to-date as Midgar, using the old fashioned card-cataloging approach to find requested materials rather than punching some scannable code into a high-tech computer. A simpler way of life, certainly, but not a little frustrating, given the ease of technology. 

Far back in one of those dimly lit corners, a particular row seemed to catch Denzel’s eye. Immediately, the boy pulled off his warm gloves with his teeth, roughly shoving the hand warmers into deep coat pockets.

“Hey, look at this!”

“Is it a fun book to read?”, Marlene—a little cautiously—inquired.

With careful strides, Denzel approached. As if quietly glowing within, one particularly heavy-looking red-faded tome silently cried out for attention. Gilded edges, leather-bound, covered in dust. _ εγλ 1926 _, read the internal copyright year, stubbornly-stuck dusty pages slowly coming undone.

Strange to think how long ago that must’ve been, fuzzily remembering his history lessons at school on Midgar’s upper plate, when soon enough it’d be to be Spring εγλ 0010. 

Yule and New Year’s celebrations had been great fun, but there _ was _ uneasiness surrounding Cloud and Tifa. Nervous glances between the couple, not so subtly scratching their necks whenever they thought the others weren’t looking...That _ had _to have been the weirdest thing about it. Everybody else such as Marlene’s dad, Barret, Mr. Tuesti and all the others...Everyone seemed to be their perfectly normal selves.

Clearly, something _ weird _happened whenever Cloud and Tifa recently took their little vacation to Nibelheim.

With a cleared throat and a random passage selected with his finger, Denzel began slowly reading aloud: “Nibelrung: Old Great One—Fertility God of Mount Nibel...”

Standing at Denzel’s side, Marlene’s expression grew puzzled at an unfamiliar word. She simply _ needed _an explanation, especially at his randomly picking out a book to read for her...well, she’d been unsure if it was for enjoyment, or education?

“What’s ‘fertility’ mean?”

“Aww, jeez, Mar!” Denzel’s cheeks grew crimson. ”Didn’t your dad teach you about the birds and bees? It’s, umm, related to all that stuff.”

“Oh,” Marlene replied in a tone that displayed lack of complete understanding, but she allowed Denzel to continue reading, anyway.

“To further understand in comfort, a protection circle is _ essential_. Once safely within, you chant......Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinose....”

Squinting in his attempts to make out strange Nibelese, Denzel himself was only familiar with Standard, just like Marlene. He struggled through his mutterings, beginning strange chants otherwise foreign to his lips.

“Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinose!”

“Umm.” Marlene blinked twice. “Hey! What’s a Protection Circle?”

The boy offered a shrug, continuing to softly chant phrases from that dusty tome: “Kveða við, forn öld inn rikki eigi til munu svá, láta við!”

Odder still, something about Denzel’s words immediately evoked that Other Side of the Mountain, where a spooky, damp and cave existed not terribly far away, Cloud and Tifa had countless times warned the children to _ not _explore it, if their adventurous sides suddenly took over. 

Even if they wanted to—Marlene frankly braver in most situations than Denzel himself was, he honestly felt...Well, there’d been a creepy sensation of countless eyes watching the pair, urging them, “_Leave this place_!” 

They found themselves unable to continue travelling to the mountain trail’s left path. Stakes felt too dire to tease each other’s fear, as children normally do, instead turning away from the mountain path in utter silence. Wintry chill whipping their faces, late autumn leaves crunched underneath their hiking boots as they scaled downwards, shoulder to shoulder. Besides, Barret and the others were waiting for them, the family in full spending time with one another before the soon-to-occur chill of winter blizzards _ really _made any larger family visits otherwise impossible.

“Láta um staðr!” The mysterious voice of the Mountain repeated, in language of Old. Just a memory of the Mountain trail, a whispering of the dead forests, right? Certainly _ not _within this slightly chilly library. But...was there always such a chill in the air?

Already that rickety bridge Marlene and Denzel would cross on Mount Nibel gave the children pause, Cloud mentioning once the kids formerly moved from Edge of two different situations that bridge gave weight underneath the blond. 

He hadn’t, for whatever reason, elaborated any further.

Ignoring the sinking feeling within his gut, Denzel’s voice grew louder, continuing from the passage, “Enda já, enda já.”

_ Skritch Skritch Skriiiiitch. _

Marlene’s head slowly turned.

Nothing there.

Odd. 

Stifling a sneeze—it was incredibly dusty in this old, small, building—her eyes returned to Denzel’s face. He was standing there scrunched up in deep concentration, one shaky hand holding up the heavy book, his remaining fingers kept any reading from the passage in place. 

“Enda já, enda já. Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinose!”

Within inky darkness as dust particles floated mid-air, Marlene’s breath caught in her throat. She needn’t turn, given her sweaty palms and thudding heartbeat, she intrinsically understanding several pairs of beady eyes were peering into her very soul.

_ Click clack click. _

Frozen in place, shuddering, Marlene was unable to take her eyes off Denzel, his expression and eyes seemingly...blank. She forced herself to swallow, thickly.

“Denzel.....?”

Anxiety. They were being _ watched_. Neither belonged here, among these forbidden books. 

“_Láta um staðr_.”, something within Marlene’s head whispered, louder still.

_ Click. _

Fog in those sinus passages of his dizzying head....Dirtied wooden floorboards soon to be soaked with his blood...enough to stop that sudden, persistent, buzzing in his ears. Driven to madness from the overloading sensations, wanting it to _stop_ by any means possible. Piercing white noise vibrating within his very core differentiated from that Geostigma illness. Back when he’d vomit up murky black mucus and his muscles would suddenly seize, weak body winning over his brain’s overwhelming despair; self-destructive thoughts. A selfish desire to reunite with his parents.

“Enda já...enda já!!”

_ Skriiiitch. _

Shrieks from Marlene—“Denzel, _ stop reading_!!”—were enough to bring foggy-eyed attention to that distinct shadowy outline of a creature…maybe creatures? 

Low growling from complete darkness, a sliver of light from that brilliantly bright day reflected pearl-white—bared—chelicerae. Multiple rows, along the top and bottom of gaping, inky, maw enough to swallow one whole.

“_Kree, kreeeee_!”

The pair began screaming, layering that inhuman prolonged shriek—“_Kreeeeee_!”—Denzel’s shaky hands hastily shutting that bizarre book with a thud, with finality. Stifling haze within the room immediately lifted, stillness returning to the quiet, jet black, corner beyond their pathetically _ human _comprehension.

Marlene, despite her better judgement, forced herself to look. Body stilling.

Nothing there.

Gulped from a large sigh of relief, heartbeat returning to normal, she and her big brother were—seemingly—alone once more. Out of the corner of Marlene’s wet eyes, Denzel took in small, shuddery, breathes. 

Wiping dampness away from his eyes, he slowly looked towards Marlene. He hadn’t removed his tight grip from that utterly strange and terrible book. Forbidden. Maybe they _ were _in way over their heads? “A sign of protection or whatever sounds like a good idea!”

Marlene nodded in agreement, her still pale complexion little by little returning to its natural, rosier color.

* * *

“Hey, let’s try _ this _way, instead?” 

The young girl couldn’t help but desperately suggest that, snow-covered fields on the Nibelheim outskirts where Denzel and Marlene now found themselves. 

Being the early afternoon, Cloud and Tifa wouldn’t grow suspicious of the kids wanting to play outside rather than heading back to beg for gooey grilled cheese sandwiches, and hot cocoa with plenty of marshmallows.

“I don’t really mind.”, Denzel grunted while heaving that large book against his chest, still having forgotten to read the title, “But do you _ really _think she’ll show up?”

Marlene sat cross-legged in the pure white snow, shrugging. “She called us on the phone that one time! Maybe she can sense when we need help?”

Denzel, shrugged, too, his arms getting pretty tired from holding the weird book now, laid atop the pure snow. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to sizzle and melt the ice, as if born from hellishly sweltering fires.

A knee bumped into Marlene’s before the boy absentmindedly lifted a bunch of snow in his gloved hand, shifting through his fingers into a tiny pile below. He wasn’t so much bored as he was...worried. That book had been a stupid mistake on his part—but he was drawn to it, unable to return it to its resting place on the shelf of the long-forgotten library. Well, maybe not _ long _forgotten. Obviously Cloud and Tifa would occasionally grab them reading materials—from the children’s or young adult section, depending on the subject matter of the individual story. 

Regardless, such a foolish idea could’ve easily gotten himself and Marlene killed. If Denzel had been in a good position to talk to Cloud for advice, would there have been warm—almost fatherly—reassurances, Cloud’s denials to the contrary? Or anything but, harsh words as ice cold as the currently slick country roads waiting for him?

Wondering why Marlene went so quiet—did she fall asleep in the snow? Bad idea. Denzel found himself staring at the younger girl, and blinked.

Still sitting cross legged, Barret’s daughter was locked in deep prayer. Her eyes shut in peaceful concentration, her clasped hands were held outward. “Flower lady...”, she muttered, a peaceful smile on her face, heart warm from those memories of the kindhearted big sister she barely had the time to get to know.

Taking in a deep breath, Denzel steeled himself anew to try a different approach to this complete mess. “Hi, again...Miss Aerith.” A shaky beginning, but it was _ something_...wasn’t it?

“Marlene and I...All of us, actually, could _ really _use your help. Cloud and Tifa seem kind of sick, but they’re not telling us what’s wrong. It’s definitely not Geostigma, but we’re really...scared.”

Serious enough that the fear took over his heart, a flash of his newfound parents dying from whatever they suffered from, collapsed on the floor of their room, signs of life faded for however many hours, Denzel blurted out: “M-mom and Dad are acting weird, lately! We just don’t know what to do!”

“Hmm.”

The smell of flowers were picked up by a gentle breeze. Lilacs and roses and many others that Denzel’s nose hadn’t immediately recognized. All soothing, inoffensively sweet, smells.

A familiar, gentle and warm, voice before him and Marlene. Denzel opened his eyes, blinking in disbelief to see there _ she _sat, cross legged and across from them, in a flowing pink dress and smiling brightly. She was laughing, obviously unbothered by the cold, yet teasingly offered, “Wouldn’t you two rather talk indoors? You must be freezing.”

“Nah!” Marlene was all smiles now, inching ever closer to that flower girl. A shame she couldn’t give the older woman a great big hug. “It’s fun ‘cause we get to enjoy winter!”

“I wish we had more of the seasons in Midgar.”, Aerith laughed, mirth in her eyes. “I don’t remember a thing about my hometown to the north.” She paused, holding her chin with a hand, “Mmh, no. That’s not entirely true. Thanks to the Lifestream, now I do.”

“Miss...Um, Aerith?”

“Mh?” Beautiful emerald eyes locked with Denzel’s adorable face. This sweet boy that she immediately knew Cloud and Tifa would warmly care for, as one of their own. That was exactly why...she ensured he find his way to the old Sector 5 Church, several long months ago.

“I just...want to help Cloud and Tifa.”

Marlene was sniffing in agreement, but Denzel’s eyes were downcast, on the verge of his own tears. 

“I know, sweetie.” Aerith’s hand passed through either child in attempts to comfortingly pat them on the head. Of course. She was incoperal, these days. Otherwise helpless in her current lot in the afterlife, it occasionally felt like.

She said nothing about the large book she took notice of, not offering a reaction had she recognized the strange volume in their possession. _ Dugafel and others don’t require human sacrifices, they _ like _ children. But everything has its limits.Those creatures _will_ be fearful—easily angered—at being summoned by young ones who understand nothing. _

Chanting words that Marlene and Denzel _ truly _didn’t recognize—the now-forgotten language of the Cetra—slim, ghost-like, fingers seemingly pinned something weirdly tangible atop each of their fluffy jackets.

A small batch of white heather.

“To ward off evil. For protection. I’m sorry, this is all I can do.” The former flower girl was full of obvious sadness.

“I’m sorry.” Her smile continued to be full of a pained expression that neither child could pinpoint why. “_Please_, whenever Nanaki and Vincent next visit Nibelheim...Promise me you’ll find the time to talk with them? Privately.”

A pinky swear with Aerith would’t work. With interlacing hands in solidarity, both children nodded at this solemn vow. For her, anything. 

They _ would _ talk with those old comrades from Cloud and Tifa’s Avalanche. Away from Cloud and Tifa—despite the immediate betrayal they’d feel in their hearts. And away from the young couple next door—no matter how kindhearted they were. And most importantly, away from their _ supposed _new brothers and sisters—no matter that they appeared to be innocent babes recently welcomed into this Planet.

* * *

An hour later, Denzel quietly shut the door behind him. Marlene cast an unsure smile before shaking off her messy winter boots and jacket, ascending in her socks and dress up the stairs to their bedroom, cell phone in hand. She offered Denzel a silent nod, who could only nod back.

“I’m home.”, the young orphan offered as a polite sign, hoping neither of his adoptive parents were terribly pissed off that he hadn’t said goodbye that morning.

“Oh, Denzel?”, Tifa called from the kitchen. “Just a sec!” The smell of something good wafting in the hallway where the living room began. Elk stew, maybe? A side dish of biscuits sopped up with gravy, and goat as the main course? 

Denzel’s belly rumbled, simply salivating at the yummy thoughts. 

An hour of playing with Marlene in the snow—an impromptu snowball fight once Aerith literally disappeared from the discussion—was all the kids could do to take their minds off things. Act like the kids they still were, despite the horrific things already faced in their young lives.

“Umm, Tifa?” Denzel was nervously rubbing the back of his neck, mysterious book tucked in the crook of his arm. “Why’d we have to leave my friends in Edge, all of a sudden? I was finally feeling...happy, there.” His cheeks were faintly red, at the memory of that girl he’d left behind. Maybe someday, they’d meet again.

“Silly.”, Tifa’s voice playfully chided, appearing from the toasty, good smelling, kitchen with an apron protecting her long-sleeved dress and tights. A hand towel slung across her shoulder, there was genuine laughter in ruby eyes. “I’m sorry it was sudden, but Cloud and I _ really _wanted to give you two a headstart on a better—”

Narrowing eyes, Tifa found her reassuring words caught in her throat. Whatever further requests to wash up for lunch, too, died on her lips, as soon as Tifa eyed that familiar-looking flower pinned against his jacket, that book tightly clenched against the chestnut-haired boy’s chest.....Eight amber-colored eyes glared in utter suspicion, distrust of one of her original little ones. Dare he betray their newfound purpose, finally back home? She and Cloud were doing all this for _ them _to have a better life!

“_Tiferet_, let our _ barnr _be.”

There was simply no way out. Tradition calling for it, as the last of their hometown. _Resigned to one’s fate…Is that how _ he _ felt, deep down? _

Veni, veni, venias, Ne me mori facias

Thinking about it...wouldn’t do _ anyone _any good. Certainly not anymore.

Cloud sighed, quietly hoping that Tifa hadn’t caught onto his numerous personal distresses.

Tifa, for her part, immediately stilled at Cloud’s whispering into her ear, his hand squeezing her shoulder in quiet comfort. The white heather spurred on silent tears glistening in Cloud’s eyes—immediately recognition of these flowers in the dead of winter evidently from _ her _ Church flowerbed.

Slowly nodding in agreement, Tifa’s eyes returned to their normal ruby warmth. Suspicions about her son’s recent trip to the library...She’d simply leave things be. For now, hoping a suitable punishment wouldn’t be in Denzel’s future. Cancelling his weekly comic book subscription for the entire month? Hm, perhaps that would be _too _cruel.

Facing away from them, Denzel hadn’t been able to catch any whispering of the adults, nor their quiet mutterings—embarrassingly enough, whatever cooked in the kitchen under their supervision had him far more captivated, right now. Unable to lip read whatever his...parents...were whispering about, at least there were small miracles that trouble hadn’t come. Silent gratitude was offered in earnest; neither himself nor Marlene had to _currently _fear for their lives. 

Arms crossed and winking, Tifa was stifling laughter. “Stuff away, now. Wash up and get ready for lunch.”, she playfully returned to her normal role as the concerned mother.

“Ri-right!”, Denzel gave a start before lightly jogging up the stairs, forgetting in the stress of the moment to hang up his coat on the rack next to his shoes.

Cloud and Tifa merely exchanged warm smiles, chuckling from amusement, arms around each other’s shoulders. They soon returned to the cozy kitchen to finish cooking lunch. Baked bread _ and _ biscuits as side dishes wouldn’t be _ too _much carbohydrates to restore their children's frantic energy, they hoped.

Maybe they were ever so slowly getting the hang of this parenting thing.

* * *

She heard Denzel’s slowing footsteps enter the bathroom door which lightly shut behind him.

But a good smelling lunch barely registered with Marlene. Instead, her serious gaze caught four cooing babies—something like _ more _siblings, she guessed—bright-eyed in their peaceful, still, cribs. 

_ Daddy’s back home, in Corel. It’s one town away. Should I…call? I don’t wanna worry Daddy. Cloud and Tifa wouldn’t _ ever _ hurt Daddy, right? I _ definitely _ don’t want Denzel and me to leave Cloud and Tifa if they need help! _

Her tiny fists balled up from personal frustrations, her flip-phone clumsily slipped onto the wooden floorboards of her room.

“Shoot!”

Picking up the phone to pocket it while still bent over, _ that _was when it happened. Marlene openly frowned once tiny fangs protruded from the happily babbling babies’ teeth.

Their ruby and cerulean shimmering eyes were _ so much _ like Cloud and Tifa’s, suddenly shifting into amber and pure darkness: four eyes. Bubbling up, morphing into another set of four. 

Eight total. 

Like a spider’s, freshly webbed netting underneath the four bassinets. Bottles of freshly squeezed goat’s milk—not milk from Tifa’s body—lay on that old wicker changing station, next to packages of freshly unused diapers.

Little Marlene swallowed, thickly. _ What…?! _

She didn’t fully comprehend the birds and the bees besides Daddy’s vague and self-embarrassed explanations, but didn’t Cloud and Tifa have their babies far too soon? Wasn’t it supposed to be nine months for a healthy child?

Tifa had said, once she and Cloud visited with these little ones in Edge, they’d been found, abandoned but alive, in Nibelheim. All alone near the base of the Mount Nibel. 

A story that broke young Marlene’s heart, to be sure, but the babies having Tifa’s eyes and Cloud’s nose—each even sporting a similar mole on the back of their necks, Tifa and Cloud always sneakily attempting to hide their own....made this situation _really_ weird.

Facing this internal crossroads, grip on her phone tightening, Marlene ever so slowly swallowed at the bizarre scene unfolded before her. Denzel at least would believe her, wouldn’t he? Marlene’s heart thudded like one of those construction site jackhammers, noise and pure fear filling her hyperalert senses.

_ What should………I’m scared! Daddy…!_

Stella, Zack, Lily, and Glenn—seemingly innocent—their four sets of tiny, milk-white hands joyfully reached out, gurgling, towards their appointed big sister just out of grasp.

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't help myself but include a reference to an older CloTi fic of mine (from March): https://archiveofourown.org/works/18259649
> 
> Intentionally written outside of my comfort zone, this was a gift fic for **Denebola_Leo** and **Senigata's** recent Lovecraftian series of CloTi fanfics (_Call of the Mountain_). Certainly something different! Ironically enough, ask anyone who knows me and you'll know I dislike horror/spoopy shit, but games like classic Resident Evil are excellent.
> 
> I'm hoping this fic was good? Old Norse was sprinkled throughout (messy, I'm sure) with a small FF easter egg included—it was too fun of an opportunity to pass up.
> 
> I like the idea of plucky young kids searching for solutions (whether or not they find any!), probably due to the '80's and '90's films I grew up with! A lot of what inspired me to write this, too, was probably _the_ best Let's Play I ever watched (many years ago): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGNq66mWYZc&list=PLD01274DE2CB2A5AF, based on Alone in the Dark. (The original 1992 computer game which later inspired Resident Evil and Silent Hill.) 
> 
> Maybe someday we'll get a proper love-letter to the original game (a remastering or remake of some sort?), since any modern versions frankly suck.


End file.
